[update] I just noticed that a link to this content was posted earlier, but I’ve decided to keep the full text here in this thread, so you can read all the reviews in 1 place. I’m sorry for any confusion this may cause.
Greetings! I posted this review over on Reddit a few days ago and a some folks suggested I should post it here as well. Hopefully this helps others in the community that may be evaluating the 8KX.
Disclaimer
Configuration, Background, and Reference Info #1xx ). For reference, I’ve used the Oculus Rift CV1, Valve Index, and the Pimax 8KX and I will be using the Valve Index as my primary basis for comparison of the 8KX. Below is a list of VR games I tend to play in order of time spent:
DCS World
Elite Dangerous
Pavlov VR
Half-Life: Alyx
Eleven: Table Tennis VR
Blade & Sorcery
Arizona Sunshine
No Man’s Sky
The Good
Packaging: 10/10. Everything arrived safely in one piece. The packaging definitely gives the impression of a premium look and feel.
Setup: 8/10. This is my first Pimax headset and I was told they are very difficult and/or “nuanced” to set up, but that was not my experience at all. Set up was relatively easy and painless. The 8KX paired up with my Valve Index base stations and controllers out-of-the-box and without issue. I did have to Google a couple of things to define particular settings and subsequent impacts to performance (more on this later), but it was relatively painless overall. I recommend watching SweViver’s Pimax setup vids on YouTube as they were hugely helpful. SteamVR is a slightly different story, but that has nothing to do with Pimax.
FoV: 10/10. The increased field of view is fantastic and makes a huge difference, at least it does to me. Aside from straight up looking better, it offers some legit real world advantages in some games like Pavlov and DCS World. It’s difficult to articulate what a wider FoV truly adds and will most likely vary based on opinion. Personally, I find it so much easier to forget that I’m wearing an HMD and get lost in games. At this point, it would be very difficult to go back to a smaller FoV with another headset. The 8KX definitely spoils you in this regard.
Clarity: 10/10. Resolution is unrivaled. Text is crisp and very legible. I personally can’t see any screen door effect at all.
Colors: 8/10. The colors seemed a bit cold out-of-the-box, but improved substantially when I followed SweViver’s setup instructions. An OLED display will definitely beat the 8KX, but the colors are still great. In my non-expert opinion, the colors are better than the Index. However…it is very hard for me to accurately compare the colors on the 8KX with the Index due to god rays (see below).
God Rays: 9/10. I noticed ever-so-slight God rays on a few games and places (namely SteamVR Home and Arizona Sunshine). By comparison, the God rays on the Index were horrendous. Easily worse than the 8KX and Rift CV1 put together.
Comfort: 8/10. The 8KX is heavy and definitely heavier than the Index, but it really didn’t bother me at all. Both the face and back cushions are very comfortable as is the HMD rig as a whole. However…keep in mind I’m a pretty big dude, so your mileage may vary. If you start feeling neck strain from wearing the 8KX, or any other HMD for that matter, just stick with it. Your neck muscles will adjust eventually.
Nose Flaps: 10/10. I absolutely LOVE these things. It’s a tiny detail, but they make such a huge difference in immersion. They block out the light perfectly from entering the bottom of the HMD and are so comfortable you don’t even notice them. This is a fantastic design choice and every VR headset should come with these. I really hope other manufacturers are paying attention.
Modularity: 9/10. The external audio jack and USB-C ports are fantastic design choices. Again, I hope other manufacturers are paying attention. My only wish would be for more than one USB-C port to support multiple add-on modules simultaneously.
Overall Design: 9/10. Pimax put a ton of thought, effort, and love into this headset and it really shows. If Pimax added slightly more adjustment options for the HMD rig and depth adjustment for the lenses it would easily be 10 out of 10.
Overall Build Quality: 8/10. 8KX appears to be very good quality. It’s really hard to assign a value to something that hasn’t been battle tested, but these are my initial impressions. The 8KX feels slightly less solid and durable than the Index, but that is highly subjective and pure speculation. Time will definitely tell. I can already tell the the face and back cushions will wear down fairly quickly (more on this later).
Miscellaneous Good
Cable guides. The plastic cable guides/seats are great! They give you slightly more options as to where and how to run the 3-way cable on the rig versus forcing a particular orientation. It’s a small detail and not really that important, but it’s yet another good design choice in my opinion.
Silicone Sleeve. Great look and feel! I suspect it will attract dirt and gunk like crazy, but I personally love it (I’m a big, dumb animal and I’m hoping the silicone grip will help prevent me from dropping the headset).
Hinged “Flip Up” Design. You can flip the front of the HMD up while keeping the rig on your head. Very cool, yet subtle design choice. That said, I’d say it is marginally useful considering you have to loosen the screw tension adjuster on the back crown to be able to flip it up in the first place. But still…if something is 25% more convenient it’s gravy in my book.
On-board Volume Control. The 8KX has two up and down volume control buttons located on the top right-hand side of the HMD. Very cool feature. However, I probably don’t appreciate this as much as I should because I don’t use the built-in audio (more on this below).
Analog IPD Adjustment w/Digital Feedback. The 8KX has a scroll wheel on the bottom right-hand of the headset that is used to adjust the IPD and provides the exact digital measurement feedback (in mm) inside the headset. This definitely comes in handy…
The Bad
Cushion Material. The foam quality on the face and back cushions is OK, but I think Pimax cheap’d out here considering the retail price of this headset. The cushions on the Index are flat out superior. The Index cushions feel slightly more “cushy” and are much cooler to the touch (vastly underrated and subtle feature IMO). They are also more resistant to moisture. I think Pimax should steal the Index’s cushion material and use it everywhere on the 8XK.
Balance and Fit . This is subjective, but the 8KX feels very “front heavy” and less balanced compared to the Index. I was told some people had balance complaints with the Index, so the 8KX will most likely feel worse. The index also “hugs” my head better than the 8KX offering a bit more stability. That said, I used the 8KX for numerous multi-hour gaming sessions, both standing and sitting, and didn’t notice any real difference in comfort overall.
No Opinion
Audio . I use high-end studio monitors (Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro) with my 8KX, so I’m probably not the right person to speak to the audio quality. I’m not even sure which audio kit I received (SMAS?!?), because I straight up don’t use it. For what it’s worth, I quickly test drove the built-in audio on both the 8KX and the Index for the purposes of this review and the Index beat the 8KX pretty handily. I assume this can and will change based on settings and the different audio kits Pimax is offering for the 8KX.
Nit Picks
Linux Support (through SteamVR/OpenHMD/Open Source drivers). I know VR on Linux is a niche of a niche of a niche, and most people don’t particularly care…but I do! Pretty please, Pimax! I beg you!!!
Pitool. The software is pretty simple and easy to use, but this is an enthusiast-level headset. It would be nice to see an “advanced mode” with far deeper levels of customization. Also, Pimax needs to improve the “?” help bubbles to accurately and thoroughly explain what each setting does along with it’s potential impact on performance. Doing so would save users the time and effort of having to consult the Googlizer. Note: I was told Pimax already has a new version of Pitool software (including a cloud-based version) in the works with more advanced configuration and features. Hooray!
TL;DR: The 8KX is truly fantastic and offers a legit next-level VR experience. It is unrivaled compared to anything else I’ve tried and is -by far- the most immersive experience you can get on planet earth. I still think the Valve Index is probably best for most people (especially those new to VR or those with potato/middle-of-the-road PCs), but the 8KX crushes it most areas that matter: resolution, FoV, and overall immersion. In my opinion, it is easily the top choice for enthusiasts.
Original Post: https://community.openmr.ai/t/unbiased-8kx-review/29459?u=neal_white_iii
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